Chapter 9
“I can’t wait till we have more cats, so I don’t have to walk the entire border every other day.” Lightheart state sighing.
Hawkstrike sighed. “We take turns. Every other day we switch hunting and patrol. That’s what we all agreed on. Now let’s finish this up and get back to camp.” He deadpanned, shaking the newly fallen snow from his paws. He smirked when Lightheart let out another sigh.
They continued their patrol and were just about to head back when Hawkstrike froze. “Do you smell blood?”
Lightheart stiffened and scented the air. “Yes.”
The two shard an alarmed look before racing towards the scent. As they got close, they moved cautiously, unsure of what they would find. Lightheart let out a distressed whine when it became obvious what had occurred.
There was a dead she-cat. The scent of lynx was everywhere so it was clear just what fate she had met. Hawkstrike shook his head.
“Poor thing.”
Lightheart approached the she-cat and gasped. “I smell milk on her! She may have kits nearby!” Her panicked voice drove Hawkstrike into action.
“The kits can’t survive long in this cold and snow alone.” He stated worriedly and began to scent the area to try and find the she-cat’s path. Finding the direction, she had come from, he took off, Lightheart on his heals. They followed the path to a small den hidden in the shelter of an old pine tree. The den was silent and Lightheart feared that they were too late.
Hawkstrike carefully mad his way into the den. There were three kits. Two had obviously succumb to the cold. But one was softly crying. He quickly picked her up and brought her out of the den. Lightheart looked at the small she-cat. It was a tortishell.
“We need to get her back to camp.”
“First we need to warm her up a bit.” Hawkstrike countered, curling up around the kit. Lightheart realized he was right. If they didn’t warm her up at least a little she wouldn’t survive the trip to camp. Lightheart laid down next to Hawkstrike to add her warmth to the kit. Once the small she-cat’s shaking had become less violent, Hawkstrike picked her up and the two clan cats swiftly made their way to camp. They rushed to Echomist’s den.
The medicine looked up as the two cats burst into her den. She took one look at the kit and began barking out orders.
“Lay her down on the moss bed and cur up around her. Lightheart, groom her to get her blood flowing. Let me grab some herbs.” She went through a crack in the den to the herb storage. Grabbing what she needed, she returned and began making a small medication for the kit. Once she was done, she and Lightheart helped the kit swallow the medicine with some water.
“How is the kit?” Ravenstar peeked her head in. Hawkstrike had gone to inform her of the kit they had found. Frostbreeze and Hawkstrike were right behind Ravenstar.
Echomist looked up. “She’s small and frostbitten. But she’s strong. She should survive. Thankfully she is old enough to begin weaning so we don’t have to worry about finding milk for her.” She explained. The entire clan sighed with relief.
“We can take turns caring for her, but she’ll need a primary caretaker to bond with. That’s vital for a kit’s development.” Echomist explained.
“I’ll do it.” Lightheart offered rom her place curled up around the kit. “I’ve always wanted a little sister.”
Echomist nodded and Ravenstar smiled. “Perfect. And we’ll all help.” Ravenstar declared.
The kit quickly grew stronger and it soon became clear she would pull through.
“What should we name her?” Frostbreeze asked one night. The enter clan was in the medicine cat den, curled up in various places. It was tightly packed, and it was impossible to move without kicking another clanmate.
“I’m not sure? She’s a feisty one and a fighter.” Hawkstrike offered, trying to help everyone come up with ideas.
“She is. But she’s also so quiet!” Lightheart exclaimed.
“You’re right. I haven’t heard her make any noise except the occasional purr when she’s curled up with Lightheart.” Echomist noted.
Ravenstar tilted her head. “A quiet one hmm?” Ravenstar mused trying to think of a possible name.
“What about Silentkit?” Lightheart offered. The clan paused, each rolling the name in their minds.
“That’s perfect for her.” Frostbreeze agreed and there were murmurs of agreement for the entire clan.
Silentkit quickly grew and was soon racing around the camp and causing mischief. She still never spoke but she did occasionally make sounds of agreement or discontent, though they were very rare. Echomist had checked to see it there was any damage to her throat from the cold, but she was perfectly healthy. Silentkit just didn’t seem to like verbally communicating. She and Lightheart had bonded deeply and could often be found curled up near the fresh kill pile. Lightheart had taken to sleeping in the nursery with her but more often than not the entire clan could be found in there.
The small kit had proven to have quite the temper and had a tendency for making mischief in the clan, either by scaling the walls of the camp, trying to sneak out, or attempting to sneak into the warrior’s den. It was a relief to all when she turned 6 moons old.
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high ledge for a clan meeting.” Ravenstar called early the morning of Silentkit’s sixth moon with the clan. The clan quickly gathered and Lightheart led Silentkit to the front. She gave the kit one last lick on the forehead, getting a quiet purr in response before Lightheart went over to sit with the other warriors.
“Silentkit you are now 6 moons old and as such it is time you became an apprentice.” She declared before meeting Hawkstrike’s eyes. “Hawkstrike you are a disciplined and clever warrior who is fiercely loyal. I hope you be her mentor; may you teach her all you know.”
Hawkstrike’s eyes widened but he gave a firm nod.
“Silentkit listen well and learn well. From this day forward until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Silentpaw.”
Hawkstrike approached Silentpaw and put his nose to hers. The apprentice purred as the clan began to cheer her new name.
“Silentpaw! Silentpaw!”
Lightheart was eagerly waiting at the edge of the clan. Hawkstrike saw Silentpaw glance over longingly. He gave his new apprentice a nudge towards her sister. Shooting her mentor a thankful look, Silentpaw raced over.
“I’m so proud of you!” Lightheart greeted her warmly, purring loudly.
The young apprentice purred back, a rare vocalization for her.
A few weeks later Silentpaw was joining Hawkstrike on her first official patrol. She had spent the last few weeks learning the basics of hunting and fighting and Hawkstrike decided it was time for her to get some actual experience. The patrol was very routine but Silentpaw took it very seriously. She walked with her head high, ears swiveling and mouth open to catch even the faintest of scents. Hawkstrike felt a smile creep itself onto his face from her enthusiasm.
The two made it to the edge of the forest and the lake opened up before them. Silentpaw was about to walk forward when she froze. At the edge of the water was a stranger. Silentpaw looked to her mentor for instruction. Hawkstrike quickly took charge and gestured for Silentpaw to follow him quietly. The two cats slowly crept up on the stranger. Silentpaw observed them closely. The cat was a tom with white fur with black splashes. He appeared to be around her age and he looked far too skinny.
“Are you aware that you are trespassing on AuroraClan’s territory?” Hawkstrike asked, startling the smaller tom into leaping straight into the air with a surprised yelp.
“Oh gosh! I’m so sorry! I just wanted to catch some fish and there was this lake and I was so hungry, and I think I smelled the boundaries, but I was so hungry!” The young tom rambled, making nervous chittering noise after each sentence. The noise reminded Silentpaw of a young bird and she tilted her head curiously.
Hawkstrike sighed. “How old are you?” He questioned. He couldn’t bring himself to be aggressive to such a young cat, especially one that was skin and bones.
The tom seemed surprised by the question. “6 moons?” He finally wheezed out.
“Was that a question?” Hawkstrike asked, worried that the young cat was suffering from some sort of head injury.
“No, I’m 6 moons. You just surprised me.” The white and black tom admitted. He still chittered but it was less pronounced now. He seemed to be relaxing.
Hawkstrike nodded and turned to his apprentice. “Silentpaw, how about you catch us some fish while I talk with our new friend?” He requested. The she-cat nodded and set to work. The small tom perked up at he idea of food.
“So, what’s your name?” Hawkstrike asked.
“Umm. Splash.” He introduced, the chittering increasing.
Hawkstrike sighed. “Relax. We’re not going to hurt you. I’m Hawkstrike and that’s Silentpaw.” He stated, nodding his head at his apprentice.
Splash visibly relaxed. “Oh. Ok.
“So, what are you doing out here in the mountains alone?” Hawkstrike asked and Splash seemed to deflate a little, curling into himself more. The reaction alarmed Hawkstrike.
“I just had to get away. The city is full of cats that are so mean to me. They make fun of my noises.” He admitted, the chittering was worse now, hinting at his distress.
Hawkstrike felt his heart go out to the smaller cat. He was about to respond when Silentpaw came back with the fish and promptly curled up against Splash’s side. She purred reassuringly when he tensed.
“Uh… Hi?”
Silentpaw merely pushed a fish towards him. Hawkstrike smirked at the two and grabbed a fish for himself. He settled down to eat, enjoying Splash’s confusion. After he finished he stood up.
“Alright. Let’s get back to camp.” He turned to leave, Silentpaw following. Splash stayed where he was.
“Well are you coming?”
“I can come?”
“Of course. Silentpaw has basically claimed you as a clanmate already and I can’t just leave a cat your age out in the middle of foreign territory.” Hawkstrike explained. Splash made an excited noise and perked up. His body language relaxed more than it had previously in the other cat’s company. It basically screamed excitement and happiness. His overwhelming joy was surprising to Hawkstrike and it made him sad to think that such a bright personality had been suppressed for who knows how long.
The three cats quickly made their way to camp. Silentpaw led Splash over to the area near the apprentice den wile Hawkstrike went to where Ravenstar was speaking with Lightheart and Frostbreeze.
“Hawkstrike, you’re back. And with a new cat?” Did you get a second apprentice?” Lightheart teased.
Hawkstrike rolled his eyes. “Silentpaw and I found him by the river. His name is Splash and he’s basically skin and bones. Apparently, the city cats were cruel to him because he has a slight verbal tic.”
“What kind of tic?” Frostbreeze asked. As a runt, he had a soft spot for any cat that didn't fit in, and he found himself glancing over that the small tom with worrying eyes.
“He chitters at the end of sentences when he’s nervous or excited.” Hawkstrike explained.
“That’s honestly quite adorable. Poor thing. He looks like skin and bones.” Lightheart spoke.
“We’ll we certainly need to get some meat on him. Once he’s regained his strength, he can become an apprentice. He is the right age correct?” Ravenstar spoke, getting a nod from Hawkstrike.
“I’m going to introduce myself. Let’s not all overwhelm him a once.” Ravenstar stated when the rest of the cats moved to follow.
“Ah. That is probably for the best.” Frostbreeze admitted, deflating slightly. He had been eager to meet the little tom. Ravenstar gave him an understanding look.
“You’ll be able to get to know him soon.” She reassured him.
Frostbreeze nodded and Ravenstar went over to Silentpaw and Splash.
“Hello. I’m Ravenstar, the leader of AuroraClan. You must be Splash.” She greeted warmly settling down beside the two cats.
Splash looked up nervously as she approached. Silentpaw was curled up next to him. She seemed to realize that he needed a friend in these unfamiliar surroundings and had taken it upon herself to be just that for him.
“Hello Ravenstar. It’s nice to meet you.” He greeted, making that chittering noise again at the end of his sentence.
Ravenstar smiled reassuringly. “It’s nice to meet you too. Hawkstrike filled me in on what you told him. And I was wondering, would you like to stay here and become an apprentice? You’d have to regain your strength first though.” She offered.
Splash blinked owlishly, seemingly having trouble comprehending the offer. Silentpaw nudged him encouragingly and he blinked out of his shock.
“Can I really?”
“Of course.”
“Than I’d love to.” He finally agreed after a moment of deliberation. Silentpaw purred excitedly and Splash sent her a tentative smile. He still seemed overwhelmed by her attention.
Ravenstar nodded smiling. “Excellent. When you’re ready, come meet your clanmates.” She stood up, gave each of the young cats a lick on the head and walked back over to the others.
“So?” Lightheart asked eagerly.
Ravenstar smiled. “He’s staying.”
“Good. I’ll help get him on a regimen to regain his strength.” Echomist stated. She had been brought up to speed while Ravenstar was speaking with Splash and Silentpaw.
Ravenstar nodded at Echomist’s words. “Excellent.”
“Silentpaw seems to be truly helping him open up.” Frostbreeze mentioned watching the two young cats. Splash seemed to be talking about something important if his expressing said anything. Silentpaw was listening attentively and giving him encouraging nudges or purrs whenever he looked unsure of himself or seemed to be discussing something particularly painful to recall.
Hawkstrike nodded. “I’m not sure I could have convinced him to come to camp without her help.”
Frostbreeze raised an eyebrow. “She does seem to have a knack for earning cat’s trust. I wonder who else she’ll recruit?” He mused smirking playfully.
Another moon passed swiftly. Splash had quickly gained his strength back. And after much deliberation, Ravenstar finally decided who would be his mentor. It had been difficult to choose between Lightheart and Frostbreeze. Her brother knew what it was like to grow up ‘abnormal’ and could help Splash deal with the mental affects that come with cat’s judgment’s But Lightheart’s warmth and lust for life would be excellent in brining Splash’s potential out and helping him grow into a confident warrior. By the time Splash was ready, Ravenstar had made her choice.
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high ledge for a clan meeting.” Ravenstar called early in the morning. She smiled as her clan gathered. Splash left from his temporary nest in the medicine cat’s den and mad his way over to the center. Silentpaw gave him a playful nudge as she walked past on her way to sit, making him smile.
“Splash. You are finally ready to begin your apprentice training. From this day forward until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Splashpaw” She spoke. She then turned and looked towards Lightheart.
“Lightheart. You are passionate and skillful warrior. You will be Splashpaw’s mentor. Teach him well.” Lightheart walked over to Splashpaw and touched her nose to his forehead.
“We’re going to have so much fun.” She told him excitedly, making the apprentice smile.
“Splashpaw! Splashpaw!” The clan called. Silentpaw raced over and walked around him in a circle, purring loudly. She was ecstatic to finally train beside her friend.
Over the next two moons Silentpaw and Splashpaw excelled in their training and could often be found training together in their free time. The entire clan was impressed with their dedication, especially their mentors.
“I think they have a competition going on who can master the most skills in the shortest amount of time.” Lightheart stated one day as she sat eating with Ravenstar and Hawkstrike.
“They do. Silentpaw came up with it.” Hawkstrike stated. “I’m more surprised Splashpaw was able to tell what she was getting at. It took me a while to learn how to read Silentpaw, but he seems to have picked it up quickly.”
“Really? It’s probably because they are always together.” Lightheart mused.
“I have a feeling those two are going to be close for their entire lives.” Ravenstar stated, getting a nod from both mentors.
“Sounds like two other cats I know.” Frostbreeze teased walking over.
Ravenstar tilted her head in confusion while Lightheart started chuckling.
“Too true!” She agreed. Hawkstrike seemed just as lost as Ravenstar.
Seeing their confusion, Lightheart groaned. “Seriously? We meant you two! You’ve been joined at the hip since Hawkstrike set foot in our territory.”
Ravenstar glanced at Hawkstrike and chuckled. “I guess you’re right.” She shrugged. Hawkstrike rolled his eyes but smiled slightly.
Lightheart and Frostbreeze resisted the urge go scream in frustration.
“How about a hunting patrol with the apprentices?” Hawkstrike stood up and proposed to Lightheart. She nodded and got up as well. Ravenstar and Frostbreeze wished them well as they grabbed the apprentices and left through the camp entrance.
“So, what are we hunting?” Splashpaw asked as they padded through the forest.
Lightheart glanced back at her apprentice. “Rabbit. Ready for a chase?”
Both apprentices perked up at that. The two mentors brought the apprentice to a clearing.
“Show us your hunting crouches.” Hawkstrike ordered. Both apprentices dropped into their crouches. The mentors studied them before moving and nudging them slightly on the shoulders, hips, or back to get them into proper form.
“Feel the difference?” Lightheart asked, getting nods from both apprentices.
“Good. You two are improving steadily but there is always room for improvement. Now let’s get going.” Hawkstrike spoke and began to lead the way. The clan cats followed quietly. When a rabbit came into view, the cats stop. Hawkstrike gestured to Splashpaw to try his luck. The smaller tom nodded and took a silent breath. He checked the wind and ensured he was downwind. He crouched low and began to stalk his way silently toward the rabbit. His form was nearly perfect and not a single movement was wasted. He was just getting close enough to pounce when he stepped on a twig. The rabbit’s head shot up and locked eyes with the hunter. It spooked and began to race off. Splashpaw gave chase but ended up tripping into a snow pile.
“Ah man! I was so close!” Splashpaw groaned.
Lightheart chuckled. “That was nearly perfect. Just don’t forget to look at where you’re putting your paws.” She instructed, getting a nod from her apprentice.
“Shall we keep going?” Hawkstrike questioned. The other cats nodded.
After a bit of time each of the cats had managed to catch a rabbit. They were on their way when Lightheart froze.
“Do you smell that?” She whispered. Hawkstrike dropped his rabbit and scented the air. His eyes widened. He quickly grabbed his rabbit and gestured for the other cats to follow him. He walked briskly until he spotted a tree. He quickly gestured for the apprentices and Lightheart to climb up. Once they did, he began climbing up. Once all the cats were safe up high, they watched as a nearby bush rustled. Out stepped a dog. It was scenting the air eagerly and followed a tail to a patch of blood left by their rabbits. The clan cats didn’t dare make a sound as the dog sniffed around their tree. It seemed to be just about to find hem when a sharp whistle was heard. A two-leg walked into view and attached a rope to the dog’s collar and began to lead it away.
After a few minutes the cats climbed down.
“Ah. I hate when two-legs bring their dogs.” Lightheart groaned.
“Does that happen often? I’ve never seen one here.” Splashpaw asked.
Hawkstrike shook his head. “It’s pretty rare but it does occasionally happen.” He explained.
The cats quickly returned to camp. All of their fur was still a bit ruffled and their clanmates could tell.
“What happened?” Frostbreeze asked worriedly once the group had dropped their rabbits off at the fresh-kill pile.
“We saw a dog and its two-leg. They didn’t see us.” Hawkstrike explained, getting a nod from Frostbreeze.
“I’m glad you are all ok.” Ravenstar stated and Echomist nodded.
“We’ll have to keep an eye out just in case they come back.” The medicine cat stated, getting nods all around.
For the next few sunrises the cats were extra cautious about the dog. It came back once with its two leg while Ravenstar and Lightheart were hunting. But after that it left with its two-leg and wasn’t seen since. The clan assumed the two-leg had moved on, taking the dog with them. It was a relief to the entire clan. But it was a strong reminder that the territory had dangers that although were rarely seen, were certainly present. Lynxes, bears wolves, foxes, all of them could easily kill a cat. The clan decided that no cat should go anywhere alone, not for any amount of time.
It was this rule that saved Frostbreeze’s life not even a moon later.
Frostbreeze and Echomist were out gathering herbs to stock the medicine cat den. Frostbreeze had moved just out of sight when a loud rusting was heard. He whipped around to be face to face with a lynx. He let out a snarl and looked around urgently to find a way out. The lynx growled lowly and stalked forward, seemingly intent on eating him. The warrior growled, his fur fluffing up to make him seem larger in the hopes of making the lynx have second thoughts. The lynx moved closer and Frostbreeze gulped as his bluff failed. He braced himself for a horrific fight.
The lynx was about to lunge at the small warrior when a streak of silver swept past. Echomist gave a ferocious growl, her claws raking across the lynx’s face. She dropped down to her feet in front of Frostbreeze.
“Leave.” She snarled out. Frostbreeze got over his shock and stood beside her. The two clan cats snarled and swiped at the lynx, gaining ground. They got right up in its face and snarled angrily. The lynx was young and unexperienced. It was unsure of what to do in this case. Its supposedly easy meal had turned into a potential fight. Losing its bravado, the lynx turned around and took off into the forest. Frostbreeze and Echomist took off after it, slashing at its heels all the while. They drove the lynx further along until it crossed out their territory.
Once the lynx was long gone the two warriors stopped to rest.
“Are you ok?” Echomist asked worriedly, checking Frostbreeze over for injuries. The tom shook his head, still a bit out of breath.
“I’m fine. You got there before it really attacked.” He looked at his clanmate with gratitude. “You saved my life. Thank you.”
Echomist smiled gently. “Of course. What are friends for?”
Frostbreeze smiled back. “Let’s go grab those herbs and get back to camp.”
Echomist nodded and the two set off.
Sometime later they arrived back at camp. Lightheart and Ravenstar were eating and looked up worriedly when they approached.
“What happened? You guys were out for so long. We were starting to debate if we should send out a search party.” Lightheart asked, visibly relaxing as the two approached, seemingly unharmed.
Ravenstar was checking her brother over for injuries as he answered. “There was a lynx. It cornered me but before it could attack Echomist caught it off guard. We were able to drive it out of our territory.” He explained.
“I’m glad you two are ok. We’ll have to keep an eye out to see if it comes back.” Ravenstar stated, getting nods from her clanmates. Echomist and Frostbreeze put the herbs in storage and settled down to eat.
Ravenstar stuck close to her brother the next few days. Seemingly afraid to let him out of her sights, less she lost him. The entire clan had taking notice of her behavior and some wondered when she would relax.
As the sun began to set on the third day Frostbreeze finally sighed. “I’m not going to disappear.” He told Ravenstar who was curled up beside him at the fresh kill pile.
She frowned, her ears folded back. “I know. But I’ve already lost you once. I can’t lose you again.”
“You won’t. Alright?” He purred, rubbing up against her. “I’ll be careful. I have a whole clan to help me out. So, you don’t need to follow me around like a guard.”
Ravenstar sighed and curled into the hug. “Ok. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I would have reacted the same way.”
Finally, at ease, Ravenstar stopped following Frostbreeze the next day, much to his relief.
